"We must be ready to dare all for our country. For history does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid. We must acquire proficiency in defense and display stamina in purpose." - President Eisenhower, First Inaugural Address

North Korea on Tuesday threatened to restart a nuclear reactor it shut down under an international agreement in 2008, which would enable it to produce more nuclear weapons-grade plutonium."We are taking action to refurbish and reactivate the reactor together with all other nuclear facilities in Yongbyon including a uranium enrichment plant," the North's official KCNA news agency cited a spokesman for the General Department of Atomic Energy as saying.

You might remember Yongbyon from this:

In a highly publicized stunt, the North blew up the cooling tower at the 5MW Yongbyon nuclear reactor in June 2008 as part of its pledge to scrap the nuclear facility.

Sea-Based X Band Radar Platform

Liars and cheats. And would-be bullies.

The U.S. has put a ballistic missile defense destroyer in the vicinity and is moving the x-Band radar thingie nearer (or something). UPDATE: Movement of the X-Band Radar Platform "not tied to North Korea threat."

. . .Mr. Kim is manufacturing a crisis to secure high-level talks with the U.S., as his father and grandfather did. Since American negotiators would be portrayed as supplicants at the court of the brilliant young general, talking about the North's nuclear and missile programs would shore up his legitimacy. And once the U.S. is drawn in, it will come under Chinese pressure to pay off the Kims in another deal the North has no intention of honoring.

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EagleSpeak

About EagleSpeak

The main focus of this blog is maritime security. Other matters may appear. I am a retired attorney and a retired Navy Reserve Captain (Surface Warfare). Opinions expressed herein are my own. Sometimes I have the experience to back them up. Your opinions may vary. Don't panic. Feel free to disagree, that's what free speech is all about.
Nothing contained herein should be confused as me giving legal advice to anyone. If you are confused, welcome to the club. All mistakes herein are my fault. I have sufficient academic credentials to be dangerous to myself and to others.
Comment moderation is at my discretion, so your comments may never appear. You can start your own blog for free and comment there all you want. I enjoy a healthy debate, but not arguing with trolls. If you can't comment without using intemperate language, go someplace else., Under the header: BM3 Briana Lewis stands watch on the fantail while a C-2A Greyhound of VRC 40 prepares to land on USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Garrett LaBarge/Released)